


Baby you're a haunted house

by BunHun



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Day number ???? I am yet to learn what is this so called sleeping, Drabbles, Grimm is lovesick in most of these..., I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Sorry, I'm going down as the gremlin I am, I'm suffering!, M/M, Not necessarily sequenced, Not to say he's being a SIMP, Number of chapters might change too but not too much, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Characters Not Mentioned in The Tags, This is getting more chapters than just these 12, Totz based on Gerard Way's song, tags constantly updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunHun/pseuds/BunHun
Summary: Basically a bunch of GrimmGhost drabbles that are not necessarily sequenced but could be read as it (or not).I only made this for fun, so they don't necessarily have to make a lot of sense either.
Relationships: Grimm/The Knight (Hollow Knight), GrimmGhost
Comments: 97
Kudos: 158





	1. A superstition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The beautiful person who decided to read this](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+beautiful+person+who+decided+to+read+this).



> My love for Hollow Knight cameback and hit me like a truck!:D

Little Ghost had heard about many superstitions on their short journey through Hallownest’s forgotten lands, and one of the most thrilling of them had to be about a corpse dwelling in a dark cavern at Howling Cliffs that the gossiping tongues whispered rumours about it once being the servant of a wicked evil that, at some degree, even the old light had feared.

Well, Ghost feared no one. In fact, they didn’t know what such a thing was. _Quite literally._

Without second thought, Ghost of Hallownest slashed the corpse with their dream nail and!...

Nothing happened.

Well… that had been a waste of time.

Ghost, not particularly disappointed nor pleased — and even less “content” in all extensions of the word — aimed for the room’s exit. They just… didn’t feel anything in particular. They _couldn’t_ feel anything in particular. There had been no thrill, nor utter defeat, nothing. And even if there had been, they were hollow, they were not meant to feel that, they were barely able to feel the brazes of the bonfire they had just passed by!

Wait… What?

The ghost of Hallownest neared the burning pile and poked it with their nail.

This was certainly new...

Another poke, embers came out. Well, well, what would happen if...?

Soon these gentle pokes turned into a flurry of nail slashes as insatiable as the bug's thirst for thrill. Ah, yes! Now the torch burned bright and the room enlightened on its scarlet shades!...

...

But was it all?

...

Ghost turned around, seeking for any hint of a secret passage or anything that turning on the torch could have triggered, but just as them, it was perfect nothingness.

Yet another disappointment, but Ghost had no use — nor lachrymal glands — to cry over the rhetorical spilled milk. Nope- they had a duty, an important duty they had to attend! And- A VENGEFLY! Die, die, die!

Without realising it, little Ghost was out from the cave and halfway back to Hallownest.

Great. They were fast.

Using the crystal heart, Ghost launched themselves across the map until reaching the point where they knew the town’s bench they had sit upon so many times next to their good friend Elderbug laid underneath at the distance of a long and potentially mortal fall. Luckily they were not bugged by any of that.

The loud thud of the small vessel hitting the bench practically made poor old Elderbug jump out of his shell

“Ah, traveller!”, the bug exclaimed holding onto his chest, “My poor old heart is too feeble for this, as if that creepy carnival wasn’t enough!", the elder said pointing with his gaze beyond.

Carnival?

Ghost turned at the sound of accordion music and red lights, tents with distinctive conic shapes had settled into formerly empty spots at their little town, and though they could clearly see Elderbug becoming into a mangle of fear at the peculiar newcomers.

“Ahh! Look there! Something strange and sinister has suddenly appeared! Ugh, it fills me with dread”, he said shaking, but soon concluded “I think it best I try to ignore it”.

Truth was the poor old bug was easily frightened. The knight required to investigate this abnormality that had just appeared on their little town, after all, they were meant to protect Hallownest, and Dirtmouth was part of it too. A second opinion — or perhaps also a third — could come handy into the occurrences.

The vessel stopped by the other merchant's establishments to hear their words, but they all agreed upon one thing...

“They have a... sinister feeling to them. You can feel it, right?”, Iselda had said when the vessel visited, and what the old Great Nailsage won’t be too different from it.

“I'd be wary of their deals and promises. Keep your nail half-drawn, if you understand me”, he advised.

These people… Ghost would have to be careful around them.

Heeding Sly's words, the knight approached the main tent with their nail at hand. Truth it was that they rarely ever sheathed it, particularly when exploring these dreadful cavern systems, but this time was different, this could present an imminent risk; the plague could hold on a little longer, but a bug's life was delicate as a flower and could shatter in barely an instant, if something perilous was to escape from here-… No. They refused to allow it.

Cautiously, the knight made it pass the two bugs at the entrance. The scarlet theme was followed indoors with small patterns at the walls; by the hall, a bulky bug stood.

“Mrmm. You called us?”, he asked, eyeing the small knight from antlers to toes. “Speak to Master”, he said with nothing more to add. A bug of few words, it seemed.

Master…

The mystery built up as Ghost walked deeper into the chambers pass curtains of silk, each step felt like it was about to unfold and the knight impatiently awaited for it. Who would this _master_ be? Friend or foe? What would they want with the town they called home?

At the distance, they could see a mostly empty room with fancy black chandeliers ignited with scarlet flames dangling from the ceiling. Unknowingly, their steps fastened in a sudden rush of adrenaline for the unknown. Yes! Something to polish their nail skills definitely awaited them!

Out of the blue, the knight’s attention was hogged by the play of red lights and smoke of the same tone, dramatic drumrolls announcing a soon occurrence!

Light led the knight's eyes to a spot upon them and before their very eyes with the utmost theatrical coordination a tall, slender bug puffed into existence just as the music begun to die out.

Ghost was at lack of words — but to be fair, they always were. Such a magnifique entrance! Most of the time foes would already be finishing their roars and holding them tight against the walls but it was nice for a change. Yet, they could not let their guard down, they awaited for the challenge but no matter how well prepared they were, the knight was not ready for what was to come next.

“So, it was you who called us”, the tall bug said on guttural voice that sent shivers down the knight's spine.

That sensation... it was certainly new though that rush through their void so old. Was this feeling of dread?

And then, the taller bug cracked a skewed smirk as he turned ever so slightly to see the knight’s pitch-black void eyes with scarlet blazing ones.

“Well met, my friend. Well met”, he said as smoothly as a purr and Ghost could feel a faint tremble to their legs.

_And then_ he had to get closer! But regardless their fighting skills being as sharp as their pure nail, Little Ghost was not able to draw their sword to him! Almost if they were stunned by invisible thread just as how they had been bound at Deepnest!

“I am Grimm, master of this troupe”, the boss said with a graceful bow to them. Fiery eyes locked with hollow ones, Ghost knew it was different than back at Deepnest, somehow, they were utterly defenceless, but it would only worsen from here, they were as good as dead and the taller bug knew it. Taking their death-cold hand into his cosy palm he added “A pleasure to meet you” before taking it to his mouth area but instead having a chunk ripped off from them, the knight received a widening smile so charmingly that they would have preferred the better known pain than whatever this was!

From all the superstitions they had hunted down, by far this one must had to be the most dangerous; the townsfolks had done well into warning them, but just as with any other of these rumours, they won’t back down until they had figured out just what mystery had they unfold.


	2. Your heart will stay forever

Ghost entered the troupe master's tent; it was dead quiet. No Brumm to play the accordion nor Grimmkin to applaud, not even Grimm himself around! Or so the vessel had believed.

Pass the dancing hall, they discovered a new room that they had not previously seen. They ventured into it, and before them, there the troupe master was, thoughtfully puffing few wine-red cushions and turning to them once noticing their entrance.

“My dearest”, he said, beaming despite yet keeping his usual tranquil demeanour. “I was beginning to worry about your prolonged absence”.

Ghost tilted their head, they wondered why would that be. Maybe because of that one time where they got themselves stuck with bee wax? Or that other time at Deepnest? Or maybe-…

“Merely out of concern”, he was soon to answer and proceeded to take the knight's hand. “Isn’t it just natural to be disquiet over your beloved's wellbeing, darling?”, he asked, leaning to nuzzle Ghost's cheek.

The knight was not precisely the most skilled at showing these signs of affection, but when it came to Grimm, they could let loose, he did not mind these imperfections of them.

The knight nodded, nuzzling back as they did, to which Grimm smiled, pleased to hear their wordless answer. The taller bug placed a claw over the knight's shoulder and as he took seat, he pulled them into his lap with a warm embrace, wrapping the vessel around his wings and resting his head between their antlers. Ghost could melt right there and then, but if they did, they wouldn’t be unable to cuddle the troupe master back, so that option was out of the table for them.

Ghost could feel Grimm caressing his way up to their horns. “My love?”, he purred into them.

The knight leaned into the warm touch of their meaningful other's breathe against their skull.

“If truth be told, there was an additional reason”, Grimm said close to a whisper as he pulled them closer, so tight that they could feel his heartbeat against his chest.

Yet again, the knight tilted their head. What could this mystery be?

Grimm smiled; it was always delightful to see them express themselves even at the minimum. “Are you perhaps curious, my dear?”, he asked.

Ghost was soon to nod, of course they were intrigued!

The troupe master chuckled. “I fear I cannot show you just yet”.

In surprise, they looked up to him, their eyes have widened ever so slightly as asking him why.

“I have my reason, my dear”, he said somewhat playfully.

This time, the knight completely turned around and faced him, these eyes as dark as the void and big as plates shooting one million of wordless questions.

“Well, I wish not to spoil our next presentation”, The troupe master said poking lovingly with his fingertip at the centre of Ghost's mask. “Not even to my dance partner themselves”.

Ghost was about to complain the best they could without a voice, but their companion was soon to continue.

Grimm hummed. “However, I could make an exception for my favourite bug, I suppose”, he purred planting a kiss at the vessel's cheek.

Thanks to the higher beings he had hinted at them being his favourite bug, there were many other insects that could as well be of his preference.

Before Ghost could react properly, the troupe master continued. “Under one condition, of course”.

They tilted their head, there were many things he could ask, and Ghost feared it would be something nearly impossible as the delicate flower quest! Oh no- please that it is just bearing him another child, please that it is just another child!

“Let us nap first” the troupe master said lifting on hand a blanket from the pillow pile.

Oh. Yes, that was easier than the flower quest.

Ghost nodded, taking the blanket. It was warm, but not as warm as Grimm, so they snuggled closer to him and rested their head to his chest. They could feel the ringmaster placing his hand at their back and starting to caress them.

His warmth made Ghost feel at ease and practically lulled them to sleep along the beating of his heart against his chest. They could stay like this forever, just having a moment to themselves and finally being able to rest with their beloved after a long day of running around Hallownest back and forth killing a number of enemies as they explored.

“You must be tired, are you not?”, Grimm asked nuzzling them.

Ghost denied it by shaking their head onto their beloved's chest, but with their lax movements, the troupe master knew better, yet he decided to play along.

He chuckled, “I must have guessed. You are lively as that”, said the troupe master kissing the top of their head, but the knight could barely feel it, they were few more steps further into the dream realm than what they were into the one of the awoken.

Soon, without realizing it, Ghost began to nod off and the darkness at the back of their skull was enlightened by scarlet. Merely a single light it was, but as they walked along the mindscape’s halls one flame flared after another.

Ghost followed each throughout the end; throbbing arteries that appeared ripped apart and sewn back together gave the knight a rather warm welcome such as the pounding ventricles of the nightmare heart and the puppets of the flame, but none was warmer nor more charming than Grimm's himself.

The troupe master appeared before them sporting a cherry red cloak that fluttered hypnotically with its owner's every graceful movement. “Are you ready for the sneak peek, my dear?”, he asked with one of his classic bows and enchanting smug smile characteristic of him.

So this had been his plan all along. They must had saw it coming.

Grimm straightened and dramatically extended his cape to the being at the centre of the room, not parting his sight from Ghost. "Someday this stage shall be where we dance, the consolidation of the ritual, the nightmare heart as witness of the passing down of the flame from father to child. But as now in the present...” — he paused to near the vessel, taking their hand into his and kneeling to them, his eyes always locked into theirs — ”Let this be where an unbreakable oath takes place and let these higher beings be witness to it”.

Ghost was confused as to where the theatre bug was going with this act, but for a reason unknown to them, they could feel their void heart growing hectic with each word and movement the troupe master made, but it was not like it had ever been another way.

“My little Ghost”, he begun. “Though my heart might not last forever, I swear to you...” — he cupped their cheek— “That until the day the flame that keeps me alive extinguishes, every heartbeat will only be for you and so will be every flame, as you see...”

Grimm took the knight's hand to his chest. The vessel could feel every beat, the radiating warmth, the love that poured from their partner's heart... 

“My heart beats with the burning love I feel for you".

Naturally, Ghost knew not how to reply, they were not good with words. But they were with actions.

The knight closed their eyes and leaned their forehead against Grimm's as they took the troupe master's hand holding theirs to their chest, right over void heart.

Words were not required. It was a silent exchange with no need for explications. His heart was theirs, but it was likewise the other way around.

The nightmare heart could not last forever, but the knight's would.

Ghost's heart was his and it always would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at 5 a.m instead sleeping (":


	3. When your last remains are few

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So once I made a thing of the likes but someone mentioned it could be better with slightly more context, I swear I did put effort into this tho✨So this one is to avenge you, you cool person!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 (I hope this is okay! TwT)" )

Their child has been crying disconsolately at the lack of their other parent, the father carried them and tried his best to lull them back to sleep, but the child already knew something that everyone else at the little town ignored: the knight was not coming back.

It has been a time ever since the fatidic day when the knight left to not be seen again. The troupe master had looked for them everywhere using the nightmare halls, but there was no lead to them, all he had to find them was the memories of what was the last time they had been together.

It was at a grand stage designed for only gods, it was like a dream cone truth to the troupe master, and to make it better, he had gotten the pleasure to dance with his beloved little shade before a numerous audience.

As expected to him, it didn’t last long, his dearest little Ghost was quite skilled with the nail after all. Subsequently a good luck kiss, the couple parted only with their words to be seeing each other again later that day.

_But it did not happen._

No one had seen the knight at the little town nor at its surroundings. Not at least since that day. All that remained of them was the memories, even the trail to the seeker had completely vanished, but the troupe master refused to let things be that way, he refused to give up on the sole bug that had made his heart beat like no other. No, he was not to accept defeat that simply. They must have left some kind of hint! There had to be something!

He used the puppets and nightmares as his eyes to see, never running with luck even though he should had expected it, his powers had limits…

_But his love for the knight did not._

Once the child was asleep, he left them under his right hand's care and left to look for whom he called his love. He couldn’t possibly take their brood to venture with him, out there, Hallownest was unforgiving and the child was little of what remained of his beloved, he could not possibly risk losing his family again, not when their progeny had eyes and shell as dark as the void, not when looking at them he was reminded of whom he sought…

The troupe master rushed to the nearest stag station; since his flame was not quite able to persist on the place he would be investigating, he was in need of help, and would gladly take any that others could provide.

He rung the bell after jumping off the small elevator and awaited for the old stag who arrived in no time, lifting clouds of dirt with his arrival.

"Little one, where have you-... oh", he stopped, realizing his mistake of whom had called for him. "Please pardon me, Sir".

Grimm smiled, already knowing who had the old stag been expecting. "Worry not, my friend. It was but a simple mistake, we all are anxious about their absence".

There was something sinister about the bug, the old stag thought, but his duties came first so he was not who to ask how would this eccentric fellow know what he was talking about, just as he had read his mind, but Grimm did not care, he was already used to these reactions.

"I am Grimm, partner of that whom you affectionately refer to as _little one_ ", he bowed after introducing himself. "I am aware you have been participant on many of my sweetheart's adventures. Could I ask for your aid too, my good sir?"

_Their partner..._ His memory was not the best, perhaps due to his old age, but the old stag could recall the little one having a child that indeed looked like this bug in front him.

"A stag's stations door are open to all, specially to a friend's significant other. I will take you where you need to go", the old stag offered after making his conclusion.

A gentle smile and a solemn bow. "Thanks you, my friend!"

Though the trip was not long, Grimm spent every possible second into asking the old bug about his partner's adventures and in exchange telling few stories himself that he related with pride and nostalgia; there was no doubt, he missed the knight and could almost feel his heart break whilst talking about these times that now seemed so distant. But the troupe master would soon find them, and everything would be alright.

Beyond the station, falling droplets crashing with the floor could be heard, Grimm had arrived at his destination.

The troupe master thanked the old stag and promptly left after opening an umbrella, lakes poured down the city; Grimm had never been a fan of water nor cold, but the low temperature remind him of his sweetheart and how much he would give to be sitting at a bench with them right now, their head resting at his lap, his hand gently stroking them as both watched the rain fall.

He took deep breath and sighed a flame, yearning for that reality. 

_Soon._ They would be home soon.

Both would be cosily cuddling in bed and the child would be with them; they would be a happy family, and nothing would ever break them apart again, he would assure so himself.

Every step the scarlet flame took burned with determination that evaporated the puddles of water away, nothing was going to stop him; he turned bodies to dust, and water to steam as he searched for anything that could mean the knight had been there.

According to the old stag, this was the last place he took them to, and the washed corpses that the troupe master used his powers into hinted at the knight passing through there but he could not yet find them nor the explication as to why would the vessel have hidden away for so long.

In attempts to find an explication Grimm mentally rambled to himself, insecure for the first time in eons because too, was it new to him to be unaware of what was his sweetheart attempting to achieve. But perhaps the cause was nearer than what he believed.

Whilst distracted, he had stepped into something cold and gooey that he was unable to melt away, something pitch-black, something that even to him, the king of nightmare, could make shivers run down his spine. Crawling out the opened sewer, void tendrils creeped out like slowly growing vines.

In other times he would have felt disgusted to even near such a place like sewage pipes, but he had promised himself not to stop at any cost until his dearest little Ghost had been found, thus, the troupe master ventured into the royal waterways.

Darkness engulfed the pipes, there was no trace of life, all there was were only the remains of few lifeless bodies and the sticky substance.

"My love?", Grimm called out dispelling through magic the umbrella in favour of a handheld lantern. Even though capable of sight, he was practically walking blind, knowing not where was he heading nor what he would find, only could he follow his hunch.

Walking across the pipes, he found a secret passage by the wall. Little Ghost had always been quite the explorer, so if they had been anywhere, they must have passed through there.

Darkness ate away at any source of light the furthest the scarlet flame walked into the cave; cold bit through his exoskeleton into his very core, wrapping him with a feeling so unknow yet so familiar to him.

Suddenly his lantern’s flame died out after finding a way down and he blindly fell down the gap at the floor.

"Little Ghost?", he called out, being able to hear the sound of dripping water — or at least, he guessed that was it — but only capable of seeing close to nothing until three sets of shining white eyes enlightened him, so bright on the dark, so outstanding, truly majestic to behold…

In the midst of his astonishment he realized it hadn’t been the first time he had seen these eyes nor touched that smooth dark-as-void skin nor the first time a creature that, while by others would be deemed a monstrosity, had made his flame ignite with so much passion.

"My love?", he asked tenderly, taking few steps forwards, his hand extended, attempting to reach them. "My dearest Ghost, is that you?", he said at the verge of tears, barely able to contain his contentment. 

But the creature in question didn’t seem to reciprocate his emotions, the lower part of its skull creaking open to form a maw and emit the most fierce, spine-chilling roar ever conceived in nightmares or reality.

Grimm's words came to a halt, but merely because he was at lack of words at his sweetheart's majesty! He began clapping, "Bravo! Magnificent, my love! As expected of my darling, you always make my heart skip a beat!"

However, the void beast wasn’t as excited to see him, it couldn’t recognize the small bug as anything else but another creature of the Radiance’s likes. It latched a clawed hand at the nightmare being and held him tight into a death hold.

_So this was how it was going to be…_

Grimm gasped but yet found strength to smile, "Ah, as always you take my breath away", he breathed out regardless the pain.

He knew despite the signals the little Ghost that he loved remained there, he was sure of it! This beautiful being was no other than his beloved! He merely needed to reach out to them, put these remains that lasted of his sweetheart back together and, in order to accomplish it, he was ready to do what must be done.

Spiked void tendrils began curling around his shoulders, arms and neck to restrain movement, thorns drilled into his flesh and ate away at his flame. The void creature lifted him up in the air, then dug its claws at the troupe master's forehead. He felt like his skull was to crack open at any second if his neck didn’t crack first but attempted his best to remain tranquil.

"My love, you know you are always on my mind, you ill need to force your way in through such barbaric means", the nightmare said with a gentle smile, the blood falling over his eyes.

This bug's voice... his smile... it felt familiar to the monstrous creature, but its mind was a mangle entangled by the very void that conformed its body. It moved its hand away only to claw at the vampire's chest, blood burst out along flames; Grimm bit back a scream. He could feel his heartbeats at his throat such as warm red liquid building up towards it and leaking through his mouth when he let out a small laugh. Just how funny that they had decided to strike his heart…

"G-Ghost? Don’t you remember? You already have my heart", he struggled to say with the blood building up at his mouth.

The monster growled and lashed again, gritting its fangs. It was unable to even being to understand why couldn’t they simply murder the nightmare, why were they struggling so much to move their tendrils.

"It has been with you since the start", he swore, leaning his head into a tendril curling around his neck, focusing his heat into his cheeks to pass the warmth down the void limb.

The void monster shivered at the warmness it was feeling though its tendrils, it was such a pleasant sensation to them, one they had felt on the past and did not want to stop but soon shook its head and placed its extra pair of hands at its head's sides, not stopping its attacks with the other ones but while they were distracted, it had been enough time for the troupe master to free a hand if his own.

"Don’t you remember, my dear?", Grimm started, placing his hand against the monster's before the upcoming attack could hit him, it made them flinch. "Have you forgotten when we first met?"

The void limbs began trembling, their eyes opened wider. The memories were fuzzy, lost in darkness at the deepest parts of their mind… they could remember scarlet lights that now dispelled their mind’s shadows, they could remember music and lanterns igniting with fire of the same colour than the small bug’s eyes, yet, the flames were not enough to enlighten the remains of their past life.

"Or our first dance together?"

They could remember more fire, the little bug bowing before them but back then they were smaller than him, it happened once, twice and even maybe thrice, with no exceptions they would always bow back and in the end receive a warm kiss at their hand after slender fingers had slid down their palm. 

"Can you remember our child?", with an elegant gesture of his hand, the nightmare created a fire replica of a nymph before gently blowing air over it as one would do with a kiss, it playfully fluttered to them.

The void creature could clearly recall them up to the point of almost being able to hear their giggling coming from the flames; these days spent nourishing them and cuddling with them in bed, with... the child's father at their side...

The fire replica hugged the void creature’s cheek. That warmth… the father’s and the child’s… Of course it would feel so familiar to them! It was from their very own family!

Grimm saw void tears beginning to peek from his sweetheart's eyes. He leaned against their hand with a gentle smile, locking half-lidded eyes with them and drawing hearts at their palm with his fingertip, not parting for the slightest, leaving a scarlet afterglow behind.

"Can you remember that we all love you?", he whispered before kissing his beloved’s hand.

Indeed, they could remember it all. The memories about their time spent with their family… there was no moment they had not felt loved.

Of course they remembered their father and mother, but they didn’t matter… They had Grimm and a child, they had their siblings and the people from Dirtmouth as well... _Them…_ All of them were their real family.

They had done all of this to protect them, _how could they have forgotten it?_

Their grip on their mate loosened much as their tears. Grimm split into a swarm of bat-like insects, most of the flock flew toward them to kiss their tears away while the red-eyed leader directed straight to in between the shade’s antlers and reformed into a sole being to kiss the deity's forehead.

"Cry as much you deem needed, my love” — their beloved purred. “You already have been strong for too long", he finished, gently patting them while laying down between their antlers.

Though Grimm would have preferred to see them happy, he was not to deny them sadness. The turmoil they had to bear throughout their life had already been enough, he could only wish for them to finally be free from these restrictions and to remain at their side through these confusing times that their dearest could face, and if there had ever been a moment like that, this was it.

Both stayed silent, their partner comforting them quietly until Ghost's crying started to die out. They took Grimm carefully in hand, and cautious not to hurt him further, gently poked him over the wounds at his chest with their snout to request apologise for what they had done.

Grimm smiled. "Oh, it was but a scratch, my dear", he said easily with a sweeping motion of his hand.

Ghost shook his head, nuzzling him.

The troupe master held the very tip of their snout and kissed them, then said "I can assure you, I am fine" — he nuzzled them back — "Be distanced from you one second longer would have been way more hurtful, my love".

They nuzzled him back such as lovingly, to tell him they felt the same way.

Grimm cupped their cheek the best he could and sighed dreamily, "My little Ghost, as lovely as always".

Ghost tried to clean the blood off their sweetheart's face with their tendrils, an apologetic look at their eyes that said they wished to do something else to make it up for hurting their beloved. Even if Grimm forgave them, they were not absolving themselves so easily. All their power and they could do nothing to make it up for hurting the one they called their own.

"Comeback with us", he replied holding their tendril. "Everyone misses you. And our child needs of his other parent". He chuckled, “Besides!” — he crooned. “You must teach them how to roar like you! They will be a fine monarch of nightmare if they were to know your tricks, my dear! And you should teach me too!", he added cheerfully.

Though imperceptible, Ghost smiled, however their glee did not last long. How could they go looking like this?

"Oh, are you perhaps concerned they will fall for such beautiful being as yourself, my gorgeous little shadow?", Grimm asked, his flatter never failed to make them blush.

The troupe master jumped off from their hand, landing on his feet with the dexterity and grace the void deity expected from him and, once down, extended his hand towards them.

"No need to fear, my love. You are still the little Ghost we love and care for; that haven't changed nor ever will, my dear. Come forth, the crowd await us".

They seemed hesitant, but finally placed a hand over Grimm's, their void shaping anew to resemble a more compact form and their sweetheart smiled to them, as charming as ever.

Though they might not look like the Ghost he knew, the shadow that he had fallen for remained there and they always would, such as his love for them.


	4. In the dark we dance together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Grimm will freaking die bcs what he's doing is not healthy for anyone's back but doesn't care either because a good dance partner will crouch for you.

“One, two, thr-…” — The troupe master opened his eyes widely in pain but was able to bite back a screech.

Little Ghost’s turned their head immediately, full of mortification although unknown to them, but not to their partner.

Grimm cracked a smile, “Oh, no! No need to worry, my dear!” — he rushed to say. “It was nothing”.

Only that to them, _it had been something!_ The knight shook their head no. It was already the third time or so that they had stepped on their dance partner, and every time they had done it — although by accident — made something within them ache so much that it could be compared to being hit themselves, only that this kind of pain was different for the worse, it was way deeper, one that stabbed right through them and they were not sure if they could be able to keep bearing with it.

The troupe master sighed, he had already figured out the problem way back, but had believed it together would be soon to fix it. Abd he still believed on it! he just had hoped for their beloved to notice it on their own... he knew they were smart, but it seemed the poor thing was way out their comfort zone.

"My dear?", he crooned, slightly tilting their head up with a single finger.

Ghost merely stared at him, the troupe master could tell there were a billion things rushing through their mind even when it was not something meant to happen to them, but it had been unavoidable from the start.

Grimm cupped their cheek and gently caressed the side of their skull. "You need to calm down, yes?", he said before disappearing and puffing back into existence behind them.

Their arms and shoulders... as the troupe master gently brushed his fingers over them, he could feel how tense they were.

"You do not need to worry", he said sliding his finger from the knight’s back of the hand all the way to the end of the other, caressing their arms and so their back before vanishing into a scarlet cloud once more only to continue after reappearing in front of them; their hand into his as only support whilst he slightly leaned back, his body tilted, dangling easily all the while at his other, at the end of his extended arm, their nail. The shade had not even noticed when did he take it. “Dancing is not different from fighting, my love”.

That knowing smile on his face, if they had a weakness, that had to be it. Every time it made their legs tremble, but they won’t stop and soon the shaking would spread throughout them... this had never happened when they were slaying an infected insect beyond salvation, how could it not be 'not different'?

Suddenly, the scarlet flame had appeared bellow them, his thin torso right between their legs. "I see you are rather sceptical about this, are you not, my dear?" — but before they could give an answer, he had already teleported way beyond their reach.

The knight was confused but had a bad hunch about how their partner carelessly dangled their nail above their usual range of reach while he had that mischievous smile painted across the face that gave away he was onto something.

"So how about this? I shall give your nail back, but!" — he appeared right next to them, holding the nail up and playfully poking the centre of their mask with his index. "Only if you can take it from me".

Ghost jumped but Grimm teleported away before they could reach their nail and the lights went out right after the red smoke dissipated. Music could be heard starting quietly, almost seeming distant, subtle, unlike the sound of a switch turning a reflector.

The vessel immediately turned at the sound’s source that soon, before they faced at the direction, became too the spot from which they heard chuckling. Across the room, the troupe master stood beneath the spotlight, striking a simple yet stunning pose.

"A very good attempt, my dear!”, he exclaimed applauding them, their nail yet at his hand. “But you should had known it would not be that easy”, he crooned.

Ghost rushed up to Grimm from the other side of the room; he chuckled.

" _How adorable_ ", he cooed.

Unexpecting the little shadow was when the troupe master took his hand the moment they reached him, he immediately pulled their arm to distance the nail from them and towered over the vessel, both leaning, Ghost tilting backwards while Grimm forward, and the vessel felt like they would fall as they shared the spotlight but their partner’s hand at their back held them tight into place.

The troupe master smirked. “I told you, I will not be that easy”, he whispered to their antler, sending shivers down the vessel’s spine before he shook them off himself by grabbing the knight’s cape and sending them off like a spinning top all the way back to the opposite side of the room, the reflector now splitting into two, one for the scarlet flame and one for them.

Ghost gained control before crashing with the wall, standing with their legs parted for support while they recovered from the dizziness, but they won’t be able to rest for long. Grimm neared them, whirling gracefully as he did, his cape dancing along him; the shade could have kept admiring the troupe master’s every movement but they had to act fast when the nightmare decided to extend his leg towards them while yet swirling.

He almost kicked them, but Ghost leaped just in time to avoid it. Taking advantage of the altitude, they jumped above Grimm and attempted to reach for their nail but failed as the troupe master grabbed their hand and pulled them back into the ground with a front split while he benefited from the very force used to sprang up.

Once back on his feet, Grimm aided the vessel into standing again pulling them gently by the arm and immediately after spinning them, but the knight refused to be dismissed all the way back to the opposite side of the room again, they held tight into the ringmaster’s hand and were able to remain close to him.

They stood across each other, their arms fully extended but hands holding and eyes as firmly locked. Through them, Ghost could see that spark igniting inside the troupe master, that burning passion that, when together, could only grow brighter. It was a light that the vessel did not mind keeping alive nor to be consumed by.

Grimm brought them closer with a quick movement and held the knight’s other hand, they let themselves be led by the troupe master who trailed a circle, each step drawing both their bodies closer until they merged into an embrace, their chests in contact but ever so slightly separating as Ghost’s back arched inwards with the pull of gravity the more that the scarlet flame leaned towards them.

But Ghost did not need to part from the troupe master. No, they required to be closer to him. The shade slowly moved their arms closer to Grimm’s neck; realizing the cue, the leader of the clan aided them to pull themselves back to him. 

Up-close, he could realize that the same spark within him also ignited on his beloved little shadow; Grimm stroked the side of their skull and now Ghost was whom began to lead.

Much as the troupe master had done before them, the shadow twirled with their beloved in arms, the space between them rarely ever parting, their hands everywhere on each other but their hearts beating as one at the rhythm of the music.

_They learned quickly…_

In the darkness, fire ignited with a passion as profound as the abyss; shadow and flame intertwined like vines as they danced, the small black and red particles they left behind bloomed like flowers on spring along the stage.

Regardless their quick movements, for the couple, time seemed to have slowed down and the world seemed to dissipate, it was just the two of them, no infection, no bugs dying, merely two lovers whose hearts beat only for one another.

Ghost held Grimm’s leg above their shoulders as they kept his head close to the floor and his hand at their torso.

“My love?”, he purred.

They needed to hear what their beloved was to say; Ghost pulled him back into his feet, and held the troupe master into a reverse embrace, their hands holding, both their bodies aiming towards the same direction but their faces at opposites to look into each other’s eyes.

With now closed eyelids, Grimm leaned in to kiss them, gesture quickly returned by his knight. How long have they been yearning for this, but the reward was sweeter after the long wait.

As they kissed, Ghost let go of their partner so he could shift into a more comfortable position and do as he pleased; Grimm pulled their face closer to deepen the kiss while the shadow rested their hands at their partner’s hips, drawing him nearer as well.

The troupe master minded not kissing his beloved all they long, but he had something to return, thus, he was the first to break their little moment.

Grimm reached for his back to retrieve the nail which at some point he had sheathed in order to be able to use both his hands, but he almost got a heart attack when he couldn’t find it, if not because as soon he skipped a beat in shock, Ghost waved their nail in front of him.

The master of the troupe was open-mouthed, “How?... When would you take it back?”

Ghost looked up, pensive, as if trying to remember the exact moment but could not, it had been already quite a while ago! So they went with a guess, shrugging, they lifted three fingers.

“Three seconds ago?”

They shrugged again.

“Three minutes?!”

Another shrug.

“Three h-…” — Grimm shook his head; it had no use — “Ghost, we could have stopped, it was the deal!”, he exclaimed, mortified about how much his poor sweetheart could have suffered, they seemed so anxious at the beginning!

But the vessel shook their head. They _could_ have told him, but they did not want it, they did not want to stop dancing with their beloved ringmaster.

Grimm understood it and chuckled with a slight blush to his cheeks. “Ah, I should have expected from you, my love. You always win”, he said basically throwing himself at their arms.

Ghost nodded proudly and proceeded to nuzzle him, as if telling their partner that indeed they did, just as how they had won his heart.

The troupe master chuckled and held their chin. “Do not get so cocky now, that is my job”.

The vessel let out a soundless laugh before both kissed again although this time more briefly.

Ghost held their beloved’s hands and swirled him one last time as if telling him that they should dance again someday, their partner nodded and cupped their cheek. 

“I would dance with you any day, my love”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEN THEY DID THE HORIZONTAL TANGO!  
> Jk, but I was totally making a sexual joke about it originally.  
> Anyways! Have a good day and thanks for reading thus far! ♥
> 
> [***Here the original under the cut-thingy just in case because I cannot *NOT* joke and lowkey NSFW for euphenisms and so another NSFW little comment under that AND I AM SORRY BUT I MUST***]  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> “I would like to dance with you any day, my love”, he crooned before his smile turned into a mischievous smirk. “Hm, perhaps we should try the horizontal tango next?”, he suggested trailing his fingers at their chest.  
> Right before being slapped across the face.  
> He followed his partner's hand with his eyes, they were pointing at their room, where their child was sleeping.  
> Damn.  
> "Yes, we will get them to a babysitter first"  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------  
> (I mean, I'm sure you cannot give a flower to Grimm because he will deflower you anyways)  
> [And just in case: remember Ghost is as old as THK and most likely older than Hornet who at the same time is older than our beautiful Elder Bug so DAMN, Ghost is old!](That is just a fun fact that often plagues me)


	5. I'd like to be waiting with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More than a summary, kinda a warning: here Grimmchild doesn't simply puffs into existence with a charm, so it's highly out of canon. Like... WAY more than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I was in drugs...  
> The drugs was the eyes of the beautiful being reading this (;

Ghost shifted from one position to another, they could not bring themselves to feel comfortable but perhaps it was because they were not used to remaining still through such long periods of time. Usually they would just run around everywhere and anywhere and rest at a bench for few minutes before proceeding on their adventure, however, this time was different; they knew that whatever was out there, was nowhere as near as interesting as what was happening before them. Nor quite as personal...

They were laying down on their back with their legs to the wall when the slightest hint of movement made them jolt like a jumping spider and switch to an upright position in order to near the object of their full attention: a small red orb no bigger than their eye sockets alike to that of a miniature chestnut on its shell only scarlet in colour and almost translucid, enough to — with some effort — behold its insides, the fragile life developing within…

Yolk though scarce yet remained, feeding though cloth-like veins the delicate being attached to them.

One could already see a pair of big pitch-black eyes, much like the vessel's, a white face with dark markings much like Grimm's, two sets of wings dark as void tendrils attached to and abdomen that, along with their head, resembled more a chestnut than any of the parent’s body shapes...

_Was Ghost convincing Grimm to call the baby chestnut?_ Probably!

Either way, they had time to convince the master of the troupe to accept the name since the movement had been only faint, a false alarm, they were not leaving their shell yet, and although the shadow felt somehow relieved, they kind of… would have appreciated finally meeting them.

Not because the outside world that seemed so distant to this room called them, but because holding the nymph would perhaps made them less dead inside.

It was alright, they would just have to wait a little longer…

Ghost sighed and leaned back into the close wall. If truth be told, they have found themselves with a need to touch the shell and make sure everything was okay and, though yet unborn, the baby could feel what they hadn't ever been able to, but every time they had gone against that instinct since all they had ever done with these hands of theirs was to kill…

The vessel restricted themselves to merely watching the egg and staying close enough but not much, just as they were right now.

They were trying to shift again into a comfortable position before getting startled by a touch to their shoulder and instinctively drawing out their nail to aim it towards whoever had dared to trespass the weavers they had left guarding the entrance to the room and yet have the audacity to near them and their little chestnut! They had a nail and fully charged soul and was not going to hesitate into blasting few abyss shrieks into an intruder's face!

Only that it had not been an intruder but actually the owner of this room and co-genetic contributor to the egg's making, none other than the troupe master who now looked perplexed to the knight while holding both his hands where the vessel could see them as signal that he meant no harm.

Ghost stared blankly at him for a moment, trying to process whatever they were feeling for pointing their nail at their partner. They could feel the void rushing to their cheeks and the back of their skull turning into a mangle while their whole being suffered the consequences of taking such a terrible approach to someone who was not an enemy.

Meanwhile, Grimm could practically hear the gears ticking inside the vessel's skull. Knowing well that they were not going anywhere, he lowered the other's nail himself, slowly, merely with his fingertip and careful to not startle them further.

Taking initiative Grimm said, "Friend, I cannot help but notice you have been rather uncomfortable on the time you have spent indoors. Perhaps it would do you good to stretch your legs a little".

And just as that, Ghost suddenly processed the whole thing and even the future. They rushed to shake their head no. They needed to stay at the egg's side! Who knew when was it going to hatch! What if it did and no one was around?! When they were born, their parents had not been nowhere near but at least they had their siblings! But their little chestnut did not even have that! Nope! There was no way they were leaving!

It did not require to be the incarnation of a god from the mental plane to realize all the turmoil that it put into the shadow leaving their child's side. He had to admit, he found it intriguing... how although their obvious discomfort and need to leave the place to continue their adventure, they yet remained here, just watching over the egg, saving their magic to its protection instead healing their own wounds that now were starting to get old. None of these extends were necessary, but they insisted, and it made him feel worried beyond of what he had ever cared about someone.

It made him suffer from his very core the sight of his injured summoner, but there was no helping aside telling them to finally cede into their wishes to go out and explore. Out there perhaps they would start to look after themselves first, and they would spare their magic into what they needed the most. 

Grimm patted their back "My friend, I can assure you, our egg shall be fine without your prolonged care. However, I fear I cannot say the same about you. Your body lusts for adventure, it is clear at the naked sight. Not to mention you have forfeited your own nourishment in favour of the child's, that yet again, I must remind you, has everything that they will need".

Ghost shook their head, no, they did not have all they needed. Next, the shadow snuggled closer to the egg, just enough to have it nested at their legs but without touching, they feared their void might be too cold for the little nymph growing inside.

Grimm tilted his head, _could he be overlooking something that the vessel did not?_ "What could I possibly be forgetting, little shadow? Is it protection?", he guessed.

Ghost shook their head again, even if they could talk, they could not quite put into words the answer to the troupe master's question. Just as most sensations they had came across on their life, it was merely a gut feeling that told them so, they had no idea what was missing.

It was a lost cause.

Grimm hummed, pensive. "I will have in mind what is this deficiency you are so sure about. But for the time being, I highly recommend maybe going out for some fresh a-"

Even before he could finish the sentence, the vessel was already frantically shaking their head.

Grimm went dead quiet. _How curious indeed…_

He faked a cough to clear his throat. "Please, excuse me for just a moment...", he said before taking his leave as a puff of smoke that reappeared by the entrance of the tent.

"Brumm, my old friend, could you perchance spare a second or two?", Grimm asked tapping at the muscular bug's shoulder.

The musician stopped playing the accordion, "For master, even an eternity"

_Great! That was what he wanted to hear_. "Fantastic!", he applauded. “There is something I must ask you. Do you believe our nest is missing anything?”

“Mrmm…”, he looked pensive. “Nothing that I can think of”.

Only that there was surely something!

Grimm thought, _what could it be?_ When he remembered one single thing they did not have, which, now, due to the circumstances presented by the vessel avoiding the use of magic for themselves, had started to be a major issue of his concern up to the point that he had felt a number of times the strings of his heart pulling him out his way just to check on the little shadow... Perhaps this could be the answer.

“Brumm?”, he called out to his right hand again, the other immediately turned. "I need you to accompany me in a hunt for lifeblood. It is of..." — he struggled to find the words, or rather, to let out the emotions with them.

What was so bad about being worried about his summoner’s wellbeing? Perhaps that it did not feel like one’s usual uneasiness… Not when it felt deeper. Like something that even though all his years alive, he had never quite felt and had started just recently. But he had no time to duel on these little things beyond his current compression. 

"It is crucial to the ritual", he resumed, presenting himself as tranquil as he could in an attempt to mask up the time he had spaced out.

_Crucial to the ritual?_ But they had never required of it before. Why would he want such a thing now? Brumm could not even recall the master ever asking for that blue substance a single time prior.

Before the musician could ask, Grimm added with a bow: "Please excuse my unanticipated exigencies, old friend. There are things not even I can predict". 

Brumm shook his head. "No need to apologise, master. It would be a pleasure to escort you". He decided to not questions the boss’s intentions.

The slender bug beamed. “Wonderful! Now, let us go, there is no time to lose!", he exclaimed. "But before we take our leave, I shall ask Divine for a task".

"Mrmm, don't tell you are thinking on let her accompany us".

Grimm’s expression suddenly darkened. "Of course not! Divine is a dear member to the troupe, but I cannot" — he remarked — "let her near the substance with the peril of her hogging it all to herself! Not when Ghost is-…" — he coughed — “Not when I have other plans for it”.

_So it was about the little shadow…_

Brumm could think into a million possibilities, but instead getting distraught with thoughts, he murmured, "Then what for?"

Grimm huffed few flames. "Better be safe than sorry, dear friend...", he replied simply.

He probably did not want to deepen the subject. Brumm nodded and followed the troupe master out the main tent into Divine's.

"Aaaaaahhh! Master! It has been so long since your last visit! You never stop by anymoooore!", she whined.

"I did just this morning", he recalled.

"Ahhhh! That smell! You carry the smell of something new! Something precious and fragile but not the odour that calls me!"

Most of the occasions, he would be more understanding with the lady’s antics, but the furthest time he spent away from his tent, the easiest she was starting to get on his nerves. 

Grimm facepalmed to hide his growling. "Divine, you have said this ever since the egg was laid. Can you conclude your protesting soon, please? I am in a rush here"

"Ahhhh, yes, for master! What can I aid you with?"

Grimm sighed, "Watch out my tent. Do _not_ let a single soul in".

Divine smiled wider, "Can I see the little lovelies?!", she exclaimed practically bouncing.

A disturbing image stuck the troupe master, with the knight in such a vulnerable state... not training nor feeding for such prolonged extension of time, their void practically leaking out from them with tiredness, and Divine's perpetual hunger...

"EEK!", she screamed.

Without thinking the troupe master had leapt towards her with his cape wrapped into his arm to use as a nail while he aimed it directly to Divine's throat, only thing keeping him away from stabbing through being his loyal right hand holding him into place.

"If you even near them, I will make sure that the foul odour of your own blood and guts spilling on the floor is the last thing you ever smell", the troupe master hissed with flames lashing out from his mouth, nightmares within his eyes manifesting as hell itself.

Divine gulped but soon nodded, "Y-Yes, master!"

"Master, please", Brumm said behind him slightly tugging him to make him snap out of it.

It took a while for the flames of his rage to die out, but his friend's voice brought the troupe master back to reality, yet, there was no trail of guilt in him for threatening one of his own. Not if it made his point across. Grimm regained his composure.

"Just don't near them... my... summoner... has got spider sentinels roaming the surroundings. It would be a shame if they were to harm you”.

Divine lightened up immediately as if nothing bad had ever happened. "Ahhh! Such a lovely! Thanks you, master!"

Grimm nodded. "We shall arrive soon. Do not commit any foolishness until then"

"Yes, master!", she beamed with one of her scythe alike claws to her forehead.

Grimm sighed a flame and turned around,

_Just what had gotten into him?_

He was not the type of bug to jump into such brash decisions...

But then again, he could not feel guilty either. However, he could neither think on what would have happened if he had to resort to slaying a member of his troupe, all he could think about was the vessel and their egg, how they refused to leave their side and now he was adventuring outside on their instance in a foolish attempt to look after them while both needed him home. When he could have as well just requested Brumm or sent another flame to do the job as he had always done…

Just how far away was he?... How far where they?... What was the distance that made them apart?...

_Could this have any connection with what they lacked?..._

Grimm looked back, it just... did not feel right to leave the tent... not while the knight was there with their soon to hatch egg and they needed him, the child did too…! Both required of his presence!

"Master?", Brumm interrupted his train of thought.

"Yes, Brumm?", the other asked, pretending that all these ideas never happened on first stance. 

"Mrmm... pardon my audacity, master” — he paused briefly, debating on either or not to continue with his request. In one hand, he would be just encouraging his friend, the ritual, but in the other… no, there was no other option. Not yet when his master was in obvious distress. “You should go back", he concluded.

_Going back?_ No, he wanted to bring the lifeblood himself to the little shadow. He wanted to make up to them for his absence! They needed it and what kind of partner or parent would he be if he couldn’t even do this single thing? 

Grimm shook his head. "No, I should not, I must retrieve the lifeblood for..."

"Master, you can't take your eyes off our tent", his friend pointed out.

At some moment, without notice, Grimm when turning his gaze away from his friend, it had glued to the tent on the distance, and he had not realised it until his partner in crime brought it up.

_But what kind of partner or father would he be if he were not by his family’s side?_

Grimm closed his eyes and let out a laugh.

_How silly of him…_

"Perhaps I should...", he said smiling before turning to see Brumm and holding his shoulders. "Can I still count on you, my dearest, most loyal, friend?"

_Dearest... most loyal... friend…_

Brumm merely nodded without saying a word.

Grimm beamed. "Thanks you!", he exclaimed hugging his musician before vanishing into a puff of smoke.

_And once again, he was gone..._

...

"Master! Back so soon?", Divine asked, cheerful as ever.

"Yes, but stay at your place and just let our kin in. I will be busy for quite a while", the troupe master said waltzing into the tent and making his way to the room the shadow had now declared their nest.

To them, their egg... and it just lacked another parent...

The weavers pounced over him, but Grimm avoided them easily with few twirls and swirls. Nothing was stopping him from seeing his partner and child, not now that he had figured out what their nest needed.

Cushions, pillows and blankets of wine, scarlet and crimson colours covered the whole room, but even though they were cosy and comfortable enough, there was a warmth that they would never be able to replace...

Ghost had their eyes half closed, they were beginning to nod off when they got startled at a touch above their hand, they immediately jumped but before they could draw their nail, they heard a familiar voice hushing them.

Behind them, the troupe master. His legs extended next to theirs as he was sitting right behind them, nesting them just as how the vessel nested the egg; his hand was above theirs, while the other close to his face, his index to his mouth, telling them to remain quiet. 

"The baby is sleeping...", he whispered.

And easy as that, with their hand that he was holding, he led them to the egg.

It was the first time Ghost had dared to touch it and it was not even them who had initiated it... but it was fine, that was all they required to do. It was warm, just as the body behind them; and how it pulsated with life... it was something that even with the capability to talk or think, they would never be able to describe.

They got themselves get carried away by the moment until they remembered, what if they were too cold for it?!

But just as he had read their mind, the troupe master talked up.

"It's fine. See?", he asked resting his head between their antlers, slightly leaning against one as he pushed down the knight's head enough to see how the nymph stirred slightly on its sleep.

The shadow could feel how their offspring moved inside their egg... squirming closer to their touch. It sent jolts everywhere throughout their void, they had never expected to experience such a wonderful thing...

Grimm chuckled, "They know both their parents are here".

_Their parents..._

_Both of them..._

Ghost was beginning to feel a warmth inside them, one that only grew when the troupe master embraced them and brought closer their egg...

"And it always will be like that. If you allow me, of course. I would like to be waiting with you for the day our egg hatches".

Ghost's cheeks went ablaze and their senses misty with the steam of the burning sensation within them, but on their confusion managed to nod, perhaps a little too eager, it made the troupe master chuckle. 

"Thanks you, little Ghost", he purred before nuzzling them. "Thanks you for everything". 

Ghost began to calm down, these words... they brought so much relief. Even with the weight of the vampire resting on them, they felt so light, like if a lot of weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Like their still developing child, Ghost soon fell asleep in the comfort of what might be now their new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! I dunno if I should tag lowkey Grimm/Brumm? but I won't and will instead leave it up to you if it was a thing here or not!
> 
> Anyways, under the circumstances that Grimmchild didn't appear out of nowhere with a charm, I like to think it was one night stand that went wrong but the buggos just adapted into it (and by "adapt into it" I mean "They eventually started catching feelings for each other (and by "eventually" I mean "very soon") but had trouble accepting these emotions on their own ways").


	6. The nights, they last forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of summary and also a ***WARNING***: A quickie. (For clarifications: yes, I mean in the sexual way).   
> DON'T READ IF YOU ARE NOT OKAY WITH THESE THINGS, IT IS JUST UNHOLY PSEUDO VANILLA CRAP (with kinda sad implications?) AND OUT OF CONTEXT STUFF!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also: this is the first time I write something like this so have mercy on my soul, please. (It does not excuse my lack of skill but!!!! No buts, it's just bad and I believe I will lose a bet now because IDK how to write (': ).

Nights at Hallownest seemed to last forever, but it was not a problem for the troupe master, he enjoyed of that never-ending darkness that veiled over these profane, carnal, acts that — if ever known — would brand both him and his partner unworthy to their roles.

Not a single light but the one casted by his own eyes entered the room; the red glow trailed everywhere over the vessel until getting caught at these two pools of void darker than the night, deeper than the abyss; the troupe master could feel himself lost into them, a labyrinth without escape, but he did not wished to leave, no, he wanted to explore every corner, turn and secret passage of these untrodden paths that shaped the vessel’s body.

Their hide was slick, just as how he had imagined, it was easy to run his hands all over it and never see his interest vanishing, the sensation was too enjoyable to bring to a halt. He pressed his fingertips to it, marking his digits on the shadow’s skin as footprints on virgin lands, their reliefs low and high amusing to his touch and even more when curious hands kneaded the lasts like clay soon to be put to use.

Void quivered in anticipation as the previously unknown sensations travelled throughout it as jolts that softened its shape and warmed it into a viscous mass; the obscure substance dripped and rained over the troupe master’s hand as he drilled his claws into the shadow’s nether regions while his fangs at their nape, right bellow their skull to feel the fire of his mouth licking at it and pouring into their body through the wounds as void leaked out.

Fire bloomed inside their eyes to make up for the deflowering of their rose at the vampire’s hands. How ironic that the very same thing they had been birthed to achieve was what tainted them impure and drove them to have no will into preventing the currently unfolding events nor the capability to think how inappropriate was it for the duty ingrained into them even before their geniture.

Although they were not fully going against their prenatal task…

The shadow melted into the devil’s every scorching touch, their composure dissolving along them and the cold of their void. It could not be helped nor how they responded to the troupe master’s every lead, as the boss, it was only natural to him to be that guiding flame on the darkness; that was it, he was but a guide. 

Though his flame could feel choking at times, he did not impose himself to them, he merely went along as how fire would waltz with the guts of air or how an experienced dancer would improvise to suit their partner, he would cue them to exploit the best of their dance together but was not to push them into anything they were against.

Possessing no voice to cry, he had to tell by how the vessel behaved, thus far they seemed to be enjoying it, not minding if the troupe master decided to play rough or be a little more gentle. On their own volition had they initiated brushing their antlers against their partner’s to build up the heat and so have they shown compliance to a more intimate approach the harder instincts pulled at their reins. 

Consume light, the essence of dream… they could feel nightmare diminishing the hollowness of their insides as a shaft branching with spikes akin to a rose’s stem raked its way, intruding into their nothingness to fill them with the scarlet flame’s warmth.

The knight’s once sturdy body had been reduced into a trembling mess with a wish of its own: to fulfil their role, extinguish that hollowness that had cursed them for so long.

With void leaking out from formerly pitch-black eyes that now blazed with the embers of passion and legs that could barely hold themselves up, the shade silently pleaded their mate to grant his aid, a request the troupe master was more than delighted to satisfy however he was not letting this bedsheet dance reach its climax just yet, he wished to see what his partner could do with that body of theirs.

Not yet done dancing with the devil, the knight energetically followed the troupe master’s lead and synchronized their pace with his own, only restraining their liveliness to instead placing speed to their actions, focusing into how smooth their movements would be in attempt to please their mate enough to be recompensated with more of the substance unique to him that though already leaking, they had not made themselves worthy of yet. 

It was thrilling to see the vessel’s curves in action, not to say entrancing. No matter how bad they tried, they could not hide the vigour they put into their dance, which the troupe master admired. As he thirstily licked his lips to savour the moment, the nightmare could not deny that the shade had succeeded wonderfully on their performance, perhaps more than what he had expected.

Appreciating the appealing sight of the shade’s seductive motions, the dancer wished to reciprocate the bother they had taken into pleasing him. Of course, he would have liked the act to last longer, but he had already seen what he wanted, and was pleased by it; so much in fact that he could barely hold his excitement for the grand finale that the vessel so yearned for.

Supporting the knight’s wobbling legs with his own and holding their underside towards himself, he deepened the bond that kept them together. Thorns dug into the shadow’s unexplored lands to maintain them in place for when his soul and essence flooded their caves.

The shade held tight into the blankets underneath as they had their instincts appeased by the nightmare. They had foreseen that accomplishing what they had been made for would bring them relief, but they had never expected it to be so soothing for a life spent empty.

The void inside stretched ever so slightly as there was more of the nightmare to hold, they needed to take it all in and fulfil their part, even if it meant constricting the soul out the nightmare being.

Shadows enveloped around him as night did over Hallownest and the troupe master’s smile was the blood moon that shined on its darkness, and just as the perils that lurked on these lands shrouded in black, the vessel never ceased to amaze him; they were always full of surprises: how even though being a craft devoid of emotions they seemed so eager, how they were making the nightmare’s heart beat so fast…

But it was not meant to last much longer and neither could be said about the remaining energy leaking out the vessel’s body, which was now not quite as much, likewise the space inside them.

Once their task fulfilled, they were dropped to the blankets as an old rag doll whose owner did not wish to keep playing with, left on their own filth, used and torn apart, but somehow not regretting the time they had offered, only that it had ended.

With their heart at their throat, only with their eyes they searched through the room when unable to feel the ringmaster on top them.

So easily had he detached that connection between them, and though he felt so warm, his appearance was so cold as the shadow looked at him standing beyond their reach, his back to them.

Part of the knight would have preferred for him to stay with them and to be held for longer between these silky wings of his, but he clearly had other issues to attend, they could not hog him to themselves...

The master of the troupe cleared his throat and excused himself with a bow before wrapping his wings around his body and leaving the room.

Nights at Hallownest lasted forever, but this one had been cut too short for the knight and too, for the troupe master's liking. He wished that he could have stayed instead leaving the vessel like that, but their respective duties were at risk. He was boss to the scarlet clan, he could not allow his judgement to be misted by such frivolities… he could not allow himself to deepen at such degree the bond with his summoner, he could not...

He shook his head.

As long they kept their distances, it would be better for him.

_And so for them..._

In hopes to clear his thoughts, he left the main tent to look up at the night skies. So empty and dark, beautiful, shrouded by mystery… just as the knight.

As darkness had wrapped over Hallownest, it had done too over his mind.

_Why?... Why couldn’t he had let the night last a little longer?..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HalentlessTack, my good fellow, if you read this: I'm so sorry this couldn't be better, ah, T^T 


	7. Days are always making you blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st: I'M ALIVE!  
> 2nd: I was drunk  
> 3rd: (Not really, I was just busy with school (': )

Nothing had changed since the day he left. Not the footprints at the sand, nor the plants growing at the sides, neither the rocks decorating the area nor the blue tint of the lake that alongside the rusting nail, remind little Ghost so much of their friend.

_Neither had the sadness they had felt over his loss have changed…_

There were many things that they wished to have shown him... Like how much they had grown ever since turning into the lord of shades! They would have liked to show him their child too and for the nymph to call the pill bug uncle.

To have him invited to their wedding with the scarlet flame that had set their heart ablaze and make him their best man.

Ghost smiled underneath their mask. They knew Grimm and Quirrel would have gotten along just perfectly!

A bug that sought for legends of these long dead lands and a legend himself... Both bugs, very dear to them.

_How couldn't they have gotten along?_

They could almost see the image perfectly if they closed their eyes.

The pill bug would have been as excited as ever to meet with one of these myths in flesh and exoskeleton, and their husband would have been enchanted to tell him as much as he wanted to know, because he was that kind of bug, a showman.

Even maybe could they have convinced him to join the troupe, it could have been fun as long as it had been on the pill bug’s own volition. Maybe he could have picked up an instrument like Brumm, Ghost was not sure if they would have been great buddies but they would have surely gotten along! He was Quirrel whom they were talking about after all, it was impossible to dislike the pill bug. But either case, they could see him hanging out with the relic seeker Lemm too and sharing facts of the kingdom’s past or even maybe of distant lands!

Too could they see their siblings getting to know and appreciate him as much as they had. They were aware that Quirrel’s first meeting with Hornet had not been the best, but if they had gotten to know each other, they would had been close comrades, they were sure. They had many things in common, or so they liked to think.

He could had been friends with Hollow as well. Both were quite skilled with their nails and had similar fighting styles, maybe they could had known each other for already a time? It was as unlikely as it was possible. But either the case, they could have always done it if they were to have met.

Or maybe none of that would have happened and the pill bug would have simply stayed at the teacher's archives, taking on his mentor’s legacy and living a long, peaceful life at her sanctuary much as how Hornet had done with her mother.

Ghost sighed. They would probably be accepting of anything as long it implied that Quirrel was safe and happy. Even if they only saw him from time to time much as how, while adventuring, they would occasionally stumble upon each other and spend time together that, though not much quantity, it had been of quality.

At least they would see Quirrel back then...

Before they had seen him for last time here at Blue Lake without knowing it.

_Before he had left to never turn back…_

They placed their hand over his old friend's nail.

Perhaps they were just being selfish... His dear friend was at the very least resting in peace now. Shouldn’t they be happy for him? He had gone without regrets, not only seeing fulfilled his task but so his wish to see Hallownest one last time as it had been the first _, he had only seen its wonders_ , the pill bug had said so himself.

They should be glad for him…

That his last days on this plane had been mostly peaceful ones, filled with beauty and wonders that back then they could not quite comprehend so well.

But, if they should be happy for him… _then why couldn’t the void stop pouring from their eyes?_

The lord of shades dropped to their knees. They were _not_ happy. They missed their old friend dearly!

They clutched the fabric of their cape that fell over their knees as void tears were allowed to rain over it without a single care, they had already hold them back for too long, and now that everything was over, they could finally let them go…

Tears and voiceless screams of pain took the form of shamelessly conjured abyss shrieks one right after another without stopping for the most minuscule fraction of second until, hidden in the sound of agony, Ghost could hear footsteps nearing, but they did not draw their nail, they already knew them too well…

“Honey?”, a guttural voice called them.

It was Grimm.

Ghost did not bother to look at him, nor to clean their tears, it was not the first time he had seen them like this nor will it be the last… No matter how much they wanted it to be that way, they knew it. They were not done mourning their friend’s loss just yet.

And Grimm was well aware.

He had known that his dearest Ghost would be here just as he knew they whom he called his love was hurt and was aware through how much they had passed in order to gain this freedom, not only to themselves, but for Hallownest too.

He knew how many people special to them they would have lost, and knew too that all these emotions were, though not specifically new, yes yet unknown to them; that regardless how masterful the shadow was, they could not be successful at everything on their first try, and how they began to learn to process their feelings and embrace them as they had done with the void, was something they had yet to accomplish. 

But also did he know, that no matter what happened, he would like to stay by their side.

The troupe master simply took seat next to them, resting over his legs, not saying a single word more. They were not needed. He had not been mistaken into none of his thoughts and accurate assumptions, he never was nor ever would be, not when things came to his dearest little shade whom, though could be unaware of many things that passed through their own mind, they were certain of one thing: they were glad that so was the case.

Sometimes it seemed their husband knew them better than themselves, he would know how to deal with them and their outbursts that were mainly provoked by their ignorance to their own being.

All that time they had to be by themselves, bottling up all the grief, anger, happiness... all their emotions, good or bad, for the better or for the worse, they had ignored them for such a long time in favour of focusing into what must had been done at the time.

But…

Looking at their husband remind them it was not like that anymore; the time to look merely for the kingdom had finally ended while the one to start looking for themselves had just begun, and there was no other bug they would rather like the most to be themselves with than the scarlet flame at their side. 

Casting so many spells in such a short amount of time had already left them drained. Ghost closed their eyes and rested their head at Grimm’s lap, who, as soon as they sighed in exhaustion, began placidly petting them.

_At least they did not have to cope with their burden alone_.


	8. Misery is funny to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimm is a bit of a jerk in this one, but no worries, he gets what he deserves (^:

When out there, the knight had to expect anything. They needed to stay alert of their surroundings; every movement, every sound… no matter if from a leaf, wind, or tap, anything could be a possible enemy, a risk to them and their task, but yet, at the silent of Kingdom’s Edge, faint laughter at the distance have caught them off of guard.

Well, just what could have been that?

The vessel scurried with caution and stealth towards the nearest platform and as soon as they stepped into it, _thump!_ A body came crashing against the rock-hard floor with little grace and strident clank of a metal armour. It had been merely a poor little fool too weak to handle the challenge.

Ghost did not deem it much attention, they had no need to, even less when their interest was redirected to the laughter they had heard not long ago, they seemed closer to its source…

Continuing to climb, the little shadow soon reached a platform, and they could not believe their eyes! Before them, the ringmaster of the troupe that had recently appeared into their formerly quiet little town was sitting at the edge of the platform, watching with amusement how the corpses of foolish bugs fell after their premature demise.

"Oh, hello friend", the master greeted with a jack-o'-lantern smile. "Do you need a hand?", he asked politely to the vessel who just dangled there in astonishment with their arms in the floor and their legs on the nothingness.

At a lack of a reply — or any other gesture that could make up for one — the scarlet flame picked them up and pulled them to the safety of the platform. Ghost was confused, it had taken them no effort running throughout Hallownest cutting into half foes and leaping longer distances than just this! Then why had their heart started beating so fast now?!

"Such a lovely day the one we are having, is it not?", Grimm asked, watching into the distance at the continuously falling bugs with deep interest, much as how Ghost looked up at him, yet frozen despite the pleasurable warmth that the troupe master irradiated.

But it was no time for getting delayed into these things! They had things to do!

Ghost shook their head to snap out from their trance, unaware that it had been one _awful_ mistake.

"No?", Grimm asked, almost sounding upset.

Inside their mask, they could practically hear their own gears ticking before Ghost realized...

They jolted.

No! — they screamed internally — They had not meant that!

The vessel shook their head and arms in miserable attempts to make it straight that they had committed a mistake, but the taller bug took another interpretation for it.

"Oh, I see. Not quite for you".

If they had any soul remaining, Ghost would have conjured more abyss shrieks than what they had ever done on their entire lifetime. On that precise moment. On that precise second. No boss, nor threat, just straight out frustration with themselves.

However, Grimm’s frown of sadness turned upside down into a smile that widened before he yet again turned to them and bowed with the grace that only he could muster.

"Then, kindly allow me to change that for you, my friend", he said, eyes closed to match the humbleness reflected on his compassionate act, only one half-opening to see what the vessel had to say.

Ghost merely continued to stare wondering to themselves why was it suddenly so warm?! Was it because of the troupe master? The water below? The troupe master?!

Ghost, again, shook his head on an alike motion as earlier, and before they could proceed, yet another slip up! The taller bug reached for their hand.

"Please?", he purred, flames coming out his mouth to stroke the vessel’s hand.

Ghost could feel their void as a whole boil and steam the inside of their skull. It was _definitely_ due to the troupe master!

There was no doubt about it, he was a scarlet flame so it made complete sense that he was hot as hell itself!

Ghost could have melted right then and there, but the other bug was still seeking for an answer; his fiery eyes locked with Ghost's empty ones and wasn’t it just _so_ entertaining for the nightmare being?

Such a delightful sight to behold how the poor little shade struggled to come up with an answer for his actions! It was as entertaining for Grimm to perform just to see his peer's reactions, and though concealed underneath the sturdy shell of a warrior, he could read the small shadow with ease; none of these answers had been intentional, it was clear for both of them, so the actor wished to push his future dance partner into a little lesson of improvisation, no harm would be made. At least not physically, to the vessel's mental sanity — assuming it had any mind — was another issue… but as the dear Wyrm had said multiples times until exhaustion like a mantra: no cost too great.

The actor decided to push his luck a bit further in order to gain a reply, and kneeling into a more comfortable position, and leaning mere inches apart to the knight, he crooned: "Come, my friend. Would you truly be against a flame lighting up your day?"

Ghost could feel his hot breathe tickling against their mask and as the troupe master reached the end of his sentence, words turning into harmless flames shaped like a figure they could not quite distinguish, but they came crashing gently against their mask, leaving the spots they have kissed with a scorching sensation that at the same time made their inner temperature rise considerably, which, at the same time, only kept growing as the space between vessel of flame and of darkness closed.

Now, with Grimm's breathe merely millimetres away, he asked "What will you say, friend?"

The vessel could feel their heart rushing against their chest as Grimm's face came closer to lean against their own. The knight could feel his warm jack-o’-lantern smile cracking wider at one of their cheeks while the underside of their skull was tortured with having the troupe master's formerly free hand holding it just as softly as how the nightmare caressed their hand which he had not stopped holding with his long, slender, fingers.

The vessel began to doubt… if they were to have a positive answer, would they be able to endure any more time around this walking heater? What made it worse to them, is that they did not necessarily find him quite the same way the townspeople did, in fact, one could dare to say that it was the opposite! While they had advised them to stay away from the vampire, their own need to continue exploring and unleashing these land’s secrets have been driving them into knowing the taller bug better! But it was just so steamy inside their mask!

One would have thought that knowing the risks and spending so much time fighting creatures back and forth, they would know better, but little Ghost just did not know when to quit! No way a little warmth was making them back off!

Ghost summoned all the courage they have had ever had to face countless enemies at once and a little more in order to reply, yes, they would be accepting the offering; but then, as they leaned into the troupe master with the inside of their mask boiling hotter as they neared, they were rewarded only with a finger distancing them and a mocking grin that matched fiery, mischievous, scarlet eyes.

What?

A puff of crimson smoke, now standing multiple inches away from them after vanishing and reappearing, Grimm chuckled. "Pardon me, friend. But it seems this play have come to an end as both of us seem to have other roles to interpret, is it not?”, he asked. It felt like such a poor excuse to himself.

Ghost stayed silent — not like they had any other choice — while trying to process the actor’s words. Indeed, he was not wrong, they had few dreamers to slay and a plague to end. They had yet another role to fulfil.

Grimm beamed. “But I must applaud you for your performance! Excellent improvisation, my friend! It almost felt like you were truly suffering your missteps!” — they were a vessel. Only explanation was that they were playing along.

But they were truly suffering!

He continued with his hands together after his flattery. “I am looking forwards our future performance. But until then, I fear this is farewell”, he crooned before bowing to them as if bidding goodbye and then vanishing into another puff of smoke.

The vessel huffed. At least their misery had been amusing to the ringmaster, but that had been just cruel! Their poor heart felt like if they had been about to die even if they detected no real threat except perhaps…. The troupe master making them boil inside-out?! And feeling like all the spots the taller bug had touched now scorched as much as that damned smile of his that had been burned into the back of their skull.

But later, as they revised themselves, they could not find any real proof of damage done to them. Neither did they feel any different after gaining enough soul to focus and heal their injuries.

How cruel. They were here, utterly confused at a bench while the troupe master was probably back at his tend laughing at their misery much as how he had laughed at the fallen fool’s misfortune.

But well, at least they had discovered something about Grimm today. Misery was funny to him.

However, the vessel was not completely right. The troupe master _did_ enjoy some good old schadenfreude every now and then — not to say regularly — but how could he enjoy how he had teased and toyed with the poor little vessel when he had suffered as much himself?

His hand held tight into his chest, barely thinking on how adorable the vessel had looked as he attempted to tease them sent his heart into a rush, the beats painful against his chest for the dreadful combination of his malfunctioning organ and that, he had to remember, they were just a vessel. They were empty. They will not be feeling anything for him anytime soon, and even if they ever did, they were his summoner. He could not have a relationship with them, it would threaten the ritual, and worst of all, it would threaten them.

They needed to be hollow if they were to fulfil their role…

Grimm sighed with a frown. _Perhaps he should have to be the same_ …

But he could not bring himself to it. He enjoyed too much this suffering of being well aware that he had fallen in love with the knight. 

Even if it hurt him so much…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS FIC IS STILL ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> Ah, I'm so sorry for taking so long into updating now compared to the start, I have so much school work to do and then I've been also kinda busy making another fic(?)(Not HK-related tho)(I was too hyped for new Monster Hunter and couldn't help myself). 
> 
> ANYWAYS! Thanks so mucho for reading! And just in case I don't upload: HAVE A SUPER SPOOPY SPOOKY MONTH!!!! AHHHH!!! <3


	9. Better find another superstition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The good side about being working with prompts and no sequences is that if I have trouble in a chapter, I can just use a later prompt!:D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The program for my HW crashed and I did this instead!:D I'M SCARED, I FORGOT TO SAVE! :D

Void tears streamed down the vessels’ face. They did not know why, whether it was out of sadness, or perhaps shock at the unforeseen situation; heck, it could even be out of anger over their own inability, but one thing was certain, confusion was somewhere there along the wish of having another option, one that didn’t imply seeing all they had worked for burned away and turned into ashes, an option that had allowed them to be held longer, to yet be kissed and loved, an option where Grimm _didn’t_ had to die.

Ghost stabbed the dirt where once their lover’s tent had been and fell to their knees, the child they had raised with the troupe master cried out, mortified about their last remaining parent, but the vessel couldn’t care less about the jolts of pain traveling through their legs, because they were nothing compared to their heartache.

They struck the ground with the concentrated strength of soul and shadow, lifting dirt and spreading razor-sharp void shockwaves in attempts to dissipate their rage. _He_ had said that they would find another way. _He_ had said they were in this together. _He_ had said…

_That he was not going to abandon them…_

That he loved them…

Because they were a family now.

The clouds of dust dissipated, and once gone along the vessel’s rage, only despair and sorrow were left.

For a vessel meant to imprison the dream goddess, they were rather feeble and powerless… They had not even been able to save the bug who they had loved the most, but of course, that was to be expected. _They were a failure._

They had never been worthy to be the vessel to imprison the dream goddess, they were deeply flawed, _even Grimm KNEW it!_

But he… he didn’t judge them for these flaws… he thought that it was what made them unique. He thought of them as strengths…

Ghost cleaned off their tears with the back of their hand. If they were strengths, why were they so weak? Grimm had never been wrong, so why did he have to be about them? Why couldn’t they live up to what he thought of them? Why couldn’t they live up to what _ANYONE thought of them?!_

The vessel punched the floor again, they didn’t even know why were they releasing their rage with it. It could not feel their pain and it neither deserved it, it had done nothing to them, only one that had hurt them was…

Who was it to start with?

There were just so many things going on in their skull… They remembered their parents, especially of their father, who had disposed of so many of their siblings. They wanted to be better, not to please him, but to show him that he had been _WRONG_ about every single one of them.

They though on the Seer’s words too, a dispute between the realm of the unconscious, a fight between nightmare and dream culminating in the nightmare heart’s current moribund state.

Even the infection itself and their prenatal task came into mind. If only they had spent less time fighting it in attempts to fulfil a suicidal mission, maybe they could had won enough time to find a way for Grimm to stay alive, another way to carry out the ritual, to heal his broken heart.

Maybe if they had, he would still be here.

Maybe if they had, they would be on his warm embrace instead the piercing cold of the night.

Maybe…

_Maybe…_

**MAYBE.**

BUT THERE WAS NO SUCH THING!

They had messed up! Grimm was not coming back. Not _their_ Grimm.

Only thing left to do was mourn his final act.

And find another superstition...

_Or was it?_

The soft meowing of their child made Ghost turn. They had nested their little head at the crook of their parent’s neck in attempts to comfort them, even though it was evident they disliked the humid feeling of their parent’s tears streaming down and falling over their own eyes, Grimmchild refused to go anywhere else.

Ghost held them closer. At least they knew their pain.

However, as the child rubbed their little face against their parent’s, and the knight came into a realization.

All these things popping around their skull… Proving wrong their father, fighting to protect their family and these who they cherished, the separation between the nightmare and dream real, the infection, the ritual… It all had a connection that lead to one of the main culprits behind all the pain they were feeling…

The Radiance.

Their father had created them and their siblings to seal her away, she was who Grimm fought against and lost, resulting on the nightmare heart’s necessity to pass the flame from one vessel to another; _She_ had been primal source of the infection.

If it was not for her, so many of their siblings would not have been sacrificed, they would not have been abandoned to die due to their minimum flaws, their sibling, the hollow knight, would not be on that prison, they would have never been bestowed with a ludicrous suicidal mission, countless innocent bugs would not have died only for having hopes and fantasies, the nightmare heart would not be crumbling down, Grimm would not have given his life to keep the heart alive!

HE WOULDN’T HAVE DIED.

Tears came to halt as if being evaporated by cheer rage; the knight stood up and with a quick twist of their wrist, they dislodged their sword from the ground.

Perhaps Grimm had been right, as he always had. And maybe also everyone else who had wronged them; they were not worthy of being a vessel to seal away the infection, they were different, they were not like how the king had wanted them to be, but that was also their advantage.

While all their siblings had been focused into sealing it away forever, Ghost had come up with something else. Something more... permanent.

They would **_KILL_** the goddess as they should have done since **_THE START_**.

Ghost turned to see their child, they seemed to have cheered up now that their remaining parent had ceased crying.

_Were they taking the child along?_

The knight tightened their grip into their nail, of course they were. Pale king had made this into a family business, and although there was no way Ghost looked up to him as a good paternal figure, wasn’t it always just fun taking your child into finding superstitions? Not to say surely Radiance would _love_ meeting her brother’s offspring. Especially when they burned her face with one of these pretty scarlet flames that the child was beginning to have full control of.

Ghost patted the top of their head to signal the child to rest there, they would need it, they would be meeting their family today, other beings that, like their father, were thought a mere superstition... _until now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silly Ghost is not thinking straight, they (probably) won't have met Grimm if not for Radiance (:
> 
> And Grimm's also absolutely not dead, he just went to pick up matches! And he took the tent with him because he's moving it closer to Blue Lake so they can chill with uncle Quirrel who's obviously also alive, just enjoying beach life! 😎✨


	10. The only one(s) who like the things you do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This doesn't touch shipping much, haha. I'll slip this over here anyways because I can (and I guess too because it does have ship mentions but not many so don't have expectations).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE!!!! After months of not updating, I'm really sorry, I had some personal issues that I have yet to... put down *loads water gun* EHEM! Anyways! This is not even that much of a good thing, but it's just a small snippet to say that I haven't forgotten about this nor about you, you beautiful reader. Have a nice day <3

Black, Gray, blue and red spread over white with a single, graceful swipe done by the vessel's wrists. Wielding a paintbrush was not as different from employing their nail, just as nailmaster Sheo had said; however, the repercussions of each path was so different.

In one, what they were expected to do before birth would fulfil their parent’s expectations. In the other, it would only be for their own questionable purposes.

But who had said they had to choose just one?

Ghost was still a warrior at heart, but it was not like all they ever did since the beginning was just slay anything that moved! There were more things to their adventure than merely nail play!

Dusting off places long forgotten by the sands of time, investigating myths and legends, traveling through dreams, charting localizations on their little map…

They had seen things and met bugs that they would never be able to describe, but that did not mean that they would not be able to share!

No!

This little bug made their own rules, the old Queen and King wanted or not!

They could not talk? SO BE IT! They had hands; they would paint and write instead!

Cartography had given them a good start to develop the skill, the time as a knight had made them precise with tools, and their experiences more than enough material to paint. They have already done landscapes such as the White palace on its former glory, Godhome, dreams and other places of the physical realm, although this time, they were not painting sceneries, but something quite different…

Something with more sentimental value to them.

It had proved to have a fair share of difficulty to them as the former knight wanted it to be perfect, but it was not like it was the first time they had ever met a challenge.

All the things that they were thrown… they found the way to fulfil what their will was. They sought for another answer that was never given to them, Ghost had forged their own path.

For _them._

Clearly, the queen and king would not be quite as happy with their decisions since that was not what the vessels were intended to do, but they had been wrong to judge them under these unrealistic standards that even the dreamer, Monomon, deemed impossible.

Had they truly lacked a will, there would have been no driving force for them to begin a journey to start with; they would be yet on the bottom of the abyss, the kingdom would have been obliterated by the infection.

If they had lacked a mind to think, the mysteries of the world would have been left unresolved, with them, the possibility of finding another way to save Hallownest would have never come to be.

If they had not possessed feelings, then why care about what happened to the kingdom and its people?

Were they truly lack these, had Ghost been hollow as how they wanted, Hallownest would not have stood a chance at the face of the old light.

And yet here it was, and they were here too, living in the desolated kingdom, seeing it come to bloom again though slowly.

Who cared if they were supposedly flawed?

If it were not for these flaws, they would have never achieved their happy ending.

Had they been as expected, they would probably be rotting forever on the black egg temple, waiting for history to be repeated. Their sibling, the original hollow knight, and the dreamers would be dead, perhaps so would be Quirrel… Hornet would be alone and Elder Bug as well; Grimm… they would not have had a child with him, and if they did, the poor Nymph would had been left orphan sooner or later, and Ghost just could not imagine a world where they left their own void and soul to fend for themselves as their parents had done to them.

They…

Ghost looked at their now finished painting after what seemed like eons of hard work, on it, the bugs who they have met on their journey and even before that. Their siblings like Hollow and Hornet; the townspeople like Elder Bug, Bretta and now Myla; the shopkeepers: Sly, Cornifer, Iselda; the Grimm troupe, adventurers they have met on their journey like Quirrel, Tiso and Cloth, and all the other bugs they considered dear were on their artwork. They had done nothing but value them while the King, their own father, turned his back on them.

All the family that they needed was right here, with them, on this painting.

And what a big and loving family it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I erased and remade this a bunch of times, but finally decided for this because, AY, it doesn't hurt to mention THE GREATNESS of the other NPCs too every now and then plus I'm a firm believer that romantic love is not everything and that family must not be restricted to blood (and/or marriage) only. 
> 
> Anyways! I want to mention few funky notes because I have no self control:   
> * Yes, Cornifer gives us the maps with some fractions of the area, but Ghost is who finishes the maps.   
> * The hunter gives us the journals... but where do the pics come from? Maybe you could say the Hunter adds them in and so the writting but I bring you the siblings entry! The hunter doesn't know about what's down there on the Abyss.  
> * I'm also madly in love about how Grimm already knows what Ghost is but instead being like Hornet, or the WL and going lowkey judgemental over it, he's just like "VOIDY DANCE PARTNER GO BRRRRR" since the beginning (clarifying because Hornet is good sis and warms up eventually).


End file.
